But having guided them to a mid-table finish last May, the ex-Brewers manager - who led Albion between 1981 and 1986 - is now overseeing a push for the Premier League, with Cardiff sat second in the table after 34 games.

They are four points clear of third-placed Aston Villa and are now only six points adrift of runaway leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers following four successive victories.